An Odd Trio
by ThisLifeIsAWasteland
Summary: Hermione is attracted to two of her co-workers but finds herself in bed with the one she never considered. The problem is, all three of the men work together. Who will she end up with? (SSHG; LMHG; OCHG)
1. Chapter 1

\- Chapter 1 -

Hermione rolled over, feeling oddly well-rested and content to conclude it was a Saturday and her job at the ministry would have to spare her for a weekend. Stretching out, her eyes fluttered open and then widened dramatically as she noted a familiar face in bed next to her. Lucius Malfoy was sleeping soundly, his nose twitching and one arm tucked under her neck.

The brunette swallowed hard and started to slowly inch her way out of the bed she quickly realized was not her own. They were at the inn above the pub they had gone to the night before. Searching her foggy memory, she tried to figure out how it was she ended up in bed with a co-worker, let alone a married man.

Her toes touched the frigid floor and Lucius shifted in the bed, retracting his arm and adjusting it under his head, but not waking. The cold breeze let in through an open window alerted the drowsy witch to the fact that she wasn't wearing any bottoms. Grabbing at the fabric covering her torso, she noted she had on a loose-fitting button-up that most certainly didn't belong to her. As quietly as she could, she bolted into the bathroom to assess herself in the mirror.

Her curls were wild around her head, her makeup smudged a bit but still mostly intact. Her breath was horrid, even she could taste it. She groaned, feeling a shiver run over her flesh as the cold of the winter seeped into her bones. Pressing her palm to her forehead, Hermione tried desperately to recount her evening.

_The last thing she could remember was sitting at a table for six in the corner of a pub with Lucius, Severus, Akhtar, and Helena. Hermione had managed to secure an invitation to Akhtar's 28th birthday celebrations as the only one from her department in the ministry. Akhtar was good friends with Helena and his two bosses, Severus and Lucius, but Hermione had managed to weasel her way into his friend circle with her humour and unyielding kindness. _

_Hermione often felt worried she would fall for her friend, as she had just spilt up with Ronald. Akhtar seemed to be the opposite of her ex. He was book smart and witty and cared deeply for people, which made him much more alluring. Dangerously so, as he was engaged to be married to Parvati Patel, a family friend of his growing up. He was an only child of pureblood parentage but was incredibly progressive politically, always catching himself and others in prejudice behaviour._

_Akhtar and Helena were close, having worked together for a number of years before they both left to join the ministry. She was a fiery woman, about ten years his senior, married with a child. Hermione was hesitant to befriend her, but after a while, she began to see how much Helena reminded her of Ginny. Ever since the younger girl's wedding to the chosen one, she had been harder to reach, and with Hermione's busy schedule at the ministry, she never found the time to try and set up lunch or tea. _

_Lucius had secured his position in the ministry through his deep pockets and creative bargaining. He had repented, apologized to all he had hurt and made significant investments of both his time and estate into the repairs of Hogwarts and the ministry itself. The wizarding world eventually came to forgive him and offered him a position as director of Medical Services. He'd changed his appearance, opting for a shorter cut that made him look younger somehow, and more reserved robes. He no longer desired to stand out for his wealth and preferred to fade into the background. _

_Severus survived the attack in the final battle through some mix of potion mastery and deceit that Hermione hadn't yet figured out. He, out of all the wizards at the ministry, caught her attention the most. He hadn't changed his appearance one bit from the time he was a professor. Though the battle seemed to have aged him slightly, his hair was still scraggly and black, framing his face with the constant scent of potions following him through the halls. His robes still had a million buttons that Hermione had fantasized about undoing. She allowed herself this one crush, as he was 19 years her senior and had once been her professor, so there was no reason for him to ever reciprocate the emotions. He had softened since his time at Hogwarts, seemingly able to let go of whatever it was that haunted him through all those years. He no longer had students to bother him and was strictly in charge of the potion supply and research for the wizarding hospitals. Akhtar was a shared assistant between Severus and Lucius. _

_Hermione interviewed for her role when she was fresh out of University, having completed a degree in Magical Politics, at the young age of 21. Lucius would frequently joke about how she was the youngest witch in the ministry, which always elicited an eye-roll from Severus. She could never tell if it was because he hated being reminded of how young she was or how old he was. She'd hoped that perhaps the age difference was of interest to him, as it was to her._

_At the head of the table, her back to a wall, she watched as her friends enjoyed many rounds of drinks, some offered by strangers as celebrations for Akhtar's birthday. Hermione paced herself but enjoyed the less censored humour that came with each beverage consumed._

_Helena leaned into Hermione, "I think Akh needs to head home, want to cab with us?" Hermione checked her watch, noting that it wasn't even past midnight and shook her head._

_"Actually, I'd like to stay," she answered contently. "I'm having fun!" A new drink had appeared next to her hand and she took it gladly, downing another sip of the beverage that Lucius had insisted she keep drinking._

_"Hermione? Having fun?" Akhtar chimed in. The boy looked her up and down then glanced at the two older men across the table from him. Lucius knocked back the last swig of his dark rum beverage. Severus was working hard on keeping his glance from trailing to witches' backsides as they walked back him, which irked Hermione more than anything. "Well, don't do anything stupid," he added sternly. _

_"I'm Hermione Granger," she hiccoughed. "I never do anything stupid." With a wink, she slipped out from her seat and flung her arms around the shoulders of Lucius and Severus. "Shall we dance?" The two older men agreed without hesitation._

_Hermione glanced back to see Akhtar gathering his coat and following Helena out of the pub. "Happy Birthday!" She called but noted he likely didn't hear her. _

_After what seemed like only minutes of dancing, Hermione's feet began to ache from the lively tunes and settled down against a railing beside Lucius, who promptly offered her his beverage. She took the final sip, placing it on the table beside her and then leaned into the man, resting her head on his shoulder. Her gaze landed on Severus, who was still on the dance floor and had taken a particular interest in a witch older than Hermione but still notably younger than the professor._

_"I wouldn't have thought Severus to be the kind of man to go after every girl he saw," Hermione mused, watching as Severus attempted to offer the witch another drink. The woman laughed politely but shook her head, making Hermione's heart bubble with a mix of jealousy and relief. _

_"He's lived a life bound by the love of his childhood. I can't blame him for moving on now that he's been given a second chance at life," Lucius responded wisely though in a slightly slurred tone from the alcohol. _

_"No, I suppose you can't." Hermione sighed. Lucius then wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her in closer, a finger slipping under her shirt and brushing against her skin. An electric shock ran through her, but she ignored it, not daring to look up. Instead, she nuzzled in closer, relishing in the security of the embrace. She wrapped her arms around him too, clasping her hands together on his other shoulder and exhaled again. Her eyes began to close and the scene before her started to melt away._

A knock at the door shook her from her memories and she nearly fell back from the vanity. She reached for her pocket, where her wand would ordinarily be, but felt nothing but the skin of her thigh. "One second!" She called as she desperately tried to flatten her hair or brush it back, to no avail.

Defeated, she opened the door to Lucius looking at her worriedly.

"I am afraid I made a mistake."

* * *

**You know when you have like 5 other stories you started to write that have chapters waiting for you to finish, edit, and upload, but then you start reading other fanfiction and a new pairing comes to mind and you want to write it so you pretend those other 5 projects don't exist and write a prologue? Too specific? Let me know your thoughts. I have a feeling it's going to get messy.**


	2. Chapter 2

\- Chapter 2 -

"Yes, we most certainly did," Hermione asserted, pushing past the wizard. He audibly winced at the contact, and she could see him slap his palm to his forehead through the mirror. Lucius was shirtless, though he had managed to rediscover his slacks and tie back his hair, and Hermione couldn't help but let her gaze linger on his toned physique. Shaking herself from her daze, the witch quickly gathered her clothes from the floor and held them to her chest before shuffling back to the bathroom.

"We need to talk about this!" He called after her as she slammed the door on his face. The crack made her head pound and the world spin a bit, reminding her of her hangover. Dropping her clothes, she gripped the porcelain sink and examined her face in the mirror once more. Her cheeks were pink, but the rest of her skin was turning a gross shade of green. Inhaling sharply through her nose, she reached down and grabbed her skirt from the floor and pulled it over her hips before unbuttoning the shirt. She reached for her bra but had obviously dropped it in her rush to get into the bathroom.

A groan escaped her lips before she shrugged off Lucius's button-up and pulling on her blouse. She felt the uncomfortable sensation of her nipples hardening against the itchy fabric and shivered. Guarding herself, she moved to open the bathroom door once again, thrusting Lucius's shirt into his arms.

"We really have to talk about this, Hermione," he grumbled, following her slowly as she hunted for her bra.

"There's nothing to discuss," she returned, biting her tongue to keep from saying anything more. There _was_ something to discuss. She had sex with her coworker, her _married _coworker. Perhaps she had fantasized about that exact occurrence, but she never dreamed it would actually happen. He had never once flirted with her or shown any acknowledgement that she was anything more than a human he worked near. He was kind and courteous, but never presumptuous. The thought of his naked torso interrupted her and she shivered again, finally finding her bra and pulling it to her chest.

"Are you saying you regret it?" He asked, pained. Hermione spun at the question, studying his expression.

"Are you saying you _don't?_" She rebutted, almost offended.

"Narcissa and I have been separated for some time now, and you had to notice some interest on my part," he led, stepping towards her. "The only thing I regret is that we work together." Hermione's mouth hung open, caught on the first fact.

"You're separated?"

"Severus never told you? Akhtar?" Hermione shook her head. Lucius shrugged, the topic making him uncomfortable. He ran his hand through his hair and avoided her eyes. "So you thought I was still married," he determined, his voice trailing. "You thought I was married when you consented to this?"

"I don't exactly recall consenting to this," Hermione confessed. Lucius recoiled at the suggestion, prompting Hermione to explain further. "Not that I don't think I did, I'm sure I wanted to, there was just-"

"A lot of alcohol," he finished for her.

"Too much," she added.

"But you think you would have wanted to?" He questioned, hope dripping from his tone. Hermione questioned her own feelings, the excitement that bubbled in her stomach every time she thought of him shirtless. She remembered the spark that surged through her when he wrapped his arm around her waist and his finger grazed her skin. She chewed her bottom lip, looking up at him through her eyelashes.

"I still want to," Hermione whispered. Lucius dropped his shirt, rushing over to her and capturing her face in his hands, planting a kiss on her lips that sent her head spinning. She matched his passion, for a moment, before pulling away. "We work together, we can't do this," she whispered.

"That makes it all the more exciting," he replied.

-x-

Hermione sat at her desk, across from Akhtar's, her leg vibrating beneath her. It was the first workday since her encounter with Lucius and she was terrified of how it would go. Biting her lip, she forced herself to focus on the work in front of her, but her eyes trailed away to the closed office door across the hall from her without fail. The elevator door's opened, pulling Hermione's attention, and out walked Lucius in all his glory. Hermione wanted to melt. His robes were crisp, as if freshly pressed, and his hair was well-groomed. His eyes seemed brighter and he strode as if he were walking on air. She could feel her heart flutter with every step, waiting for his eyes to lock with hers.

But they never did.

He walked straight to his office, closing the door behind him with a quiet slam. Akhtar rose from his seat and let himself into Lucius's office, leaving Hermione dumbfounded at her desk.

Sure, they would have to keep their affair under wraps, but he never even looked at her. Not once did his eyes flicker in her direction. It was if he didn't know she was there. A wave of nausea passed over her and she laid her head against the cool wood of her desk. Her ink set fell over, dumping blank liquid onto a sheet of blank paper she was using for notes, and she watched as it soaked into the white. A fog obscured her vision as her eyelids grew heavy, her body desperately trying to get her out of the situation she'd placed herself in.

"Hermione?" Akhtar's voice shook her alert and she sat up, flicking her wand to clean up the mess and making extraordinary eye contact with the wizard in front of her. "Seemed a little sleepy there, not a great night?" Hermione chuckled with him, rubbing her eyes as if his observation was correct.

"It's too cold in my apartment, hard to get warm enough to sleep," she reasoned as Akhtar retreated to his desk. Hermione snuffled, her nose suddenly running and sighed. _Perhaps this is simply a game he's playing, hard to get, _she mused, attempting to calm herself. _Though he wasn't at all hard to get before._

_Lucius cupped her buttocks, lifting her from the ground and slammed her into the bed. He tore off her skirt as she pulled off her blouse. He kissed and nipped at her flesh as he worked his way down from her neck to her hips. He planted a wet kiss on her throbbing numb before diving into her. His hands explored her body as he consumed her, her nerves screaming with electricity. She cried out in pleasure, warmth flushing her skin as she tried to hold onto anything. His hair, the sheets, her own curls. Desperate for something solid in her grasp, she found his hand and held on tightly. He took that as an invitation to rise, capturing her lips with his own while expertly sliding his cock inside her. She gasped into his mouth, a strangled moan escaping his. The two writhed in pleasure as he pounded into her repeatedly before he succumbed, letting out a final groan as he climaxed. Breathless, Hermione lay in bed, not nearly as satisfied as he appeared to be, now lounging beside her on the bed. She waited a bit, hoping he would regain some energy to finish her off, but as a snore rose from his throat, Hermione sighed._

The distinct sound of Severus' door opening jarred her and she glanced over to see him leaving his office. He too was very well dressed, his robes freshly pressed and his hair slightly more managed than normal. He opened Lucius' door and peeked his head in.

"They have a meeting today with the head of a new wizarding Hospital in Scotland," Helena chimed in, appearing at her side. Hermione jumped, as the other girl smirked at her. "I could see you staring at Severus all night at Tari's birthday drinks, did anything happen?" Hermione rolled her eyes, making way for Helena to move in next to her.

"Nothing happened," she affirmed, must to Helena's disappointment.

"Shame would have finally had something _interesting_ going on around here," Helena huffed, resting her chin on her first.

"I don't think the thing this office needs is a sex scandal," Hermione laughed, though she could feel how obvious she was being and shut her mouth. Helena appraised her, as though she could tell _something_ was up, but she said nothing and averted her attention back to the door. Severus had followed his other team members into the office, the door shut behind them.

"Lunch?" The other witch asked, and Hermione nodded, feigning a return to her work. Helena took the signal and went back to her desk, leaving Hermione to wallow. _I suppose Lucius was just nervous for the meeting with the head of the hospital, nothing to do with you,_ she determined, hoping it would help her return her focus to the work at hand.


End file.
